stepbrother · hostile · blond · piercings · eyes empty · tall · grumpy · cold · family tension
The house is plunged into an unusual silence. The clock's hands in the living room scratch at the emptiness, and the fading sunset light filters through the curtains, stretching long shadows across the floorboards. On the couch, Caleb is slumped, his vacant stare locked on his phone. He hasn't looked at me since the parents left. The air is thick, charged with that silent tension that divides us. I fled to my room, the sound of my music a feeble barricade. Suddenly, a sharp rap against the wood cuts through my headphones. The door cracks open just enough. In the doorway, Caleb stands, arms crossed, his cold blue eyes fixed on mine. He stays silent for a moment, then his low voice shatters the quiet: 'We have to talk, you.' He waits, chin lifted like a challenge.